Woke up this morning and the first order of business was breakfast. Didn’t want to eat at the palace cause it is god awful expensive for the same food that you can get a few blocks away for a few rupees.
Lonely Planet suggested that breakfast be taken at the Sunrise Café. So of we went through the narrow streets to our destination.
No change in the demeanor of the residents as we were greeted by “Good Morning Sirs” and “Good day”. I think we have landed in the “Mayberry of India”
The Sunrise Café is easy to find it you are looking at the top of the building while walking down the street.
But mission accomplished.
What Lonely Planet doesn’t tell you is that you have to walk up the “Impossible Steps” to get there. You have to squeeze through a tight stair case that houses an incline that makes the calf muscles burn.
But we got there and breakfast was good. Thanks Lonely Planet.
After we wiped our grinning faces it was off to explore the city and the first stop was the Ghats.
In India a “Ghat” is basically steps or a landing on a river. Since Udaipur is a city of lakes there are no shortages of Ghats.
Ghats are a huge social centre as the locals come here to do there laundry in the green lake water, take a swim, wash and dry their dirty close and lather their bodies as they bathe.
We sat on the steps and blended in with the locals as best as possible. We had left our soap at home so a bath was out of the question.
Once and a while one of the bathers would look up at me with curiosity and perhaps a little apprehension. I couldn’t help think how I would feel, if a large tourist with a floral patterned shirt came into my bathroom to watch me sponge down.
It might bode well with some of my friend, ahem, but not with me.
Then, without warning the swarm came.
Dozens of women wearing brightly coloured sarees came out of nowhere. They were beautifully dressed and most wore large hopes pierced in their noses attached to large chains linked to their ears. The existing “soaped ones” looked at them with the same curiousity they had extended to me. It was an odd site.
By the way that they started to crowd us on the Ghat, I knew we had outstayed our welcome.
One of the women smiled at me to reveal a few teeth against her vacant gums and then started to wave a bar of soap. I got the message and we headed back to the Ambrai patio for a Tuborg and a few veggie pakora.
Oh! And look at that! A clear view of the Ghat.
Beer at my side and camera in hand I started to snap the ballet of sarees as the women started to bathe. I didn’t expect that they would undress – but there they were. Some pulled their sarees mid-drift and started to wash their hair.
The site was almost primal and ritualistic. Beautiful and natural.
I almost started to feel guilty of my intrusion after the 50th shot. Almost.
My guilt shed away as a local tour boat packed with tourists slowed the motor so everyone could get a shot.
At least I was shooting for arts sake. Phsst – tourists.
Of course Nicole just rolled her eyes but then I noticed that she was taking the same shots. She justifies it by saying that I have a better zoom on my camera…uh huh.
After the perv fest it was off to the Museum where we viewed the world’s largest Turban…BIG ASS TURBAN!
The rest of the day way spent shopping for Pachemas and a stop at the local tailors. Yes, I bought another vest but this one is a Nehru cut and a steal at $70 CDN.
Very unique…hope the folks at the office can take it.
And so ended our last full day in Udaipur. We have a few more adventures ahead of us tomorrow and then it’s the start of the journey home.
One more blog entry to go.
